Interview With Dr. Kheriaty: Are Mass Killings the Result of Moral Evil or Mental Illness?

Such acts seem to require something beyond just ordinary human frailty, or even typical human malice.

The hypothesis of the devil-a personal spiritual being whose will is turned toward evil and who can exercise some sort of influence over man-may give rise to scorn from rationalists. I challenge the skeptics to find a better explanation for Sandy Hook or Aurora. As Baudelaire famously put it, the devil's greatest trick is convincing us that he does not exist.

I believe that wherever evil on this scale is committed, there must be some kind of diabolical influence present. The way in which this influence plays out is mysterious and varied-from temptation, to oppression, to outright possession. Mental illness alone, in my judgment, cannot account for these behaviors. Something else is involved.

WASHINGTON,DC (Catholic Online) - The following is a brief interview with Aaron Kheriaty, M.D., director of residency training and medical education; associate clinical professor, department of psychiatry; and director of program in medical ethics at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine.

There were reports that the Washington Navy Yard shooter, Aaron Alexis, had received treatment for mental health issues, including "hearing voices." The shooters in the Sandy Hook and Aurora, Colorado tragedies also reportedly suffered from some form of mental illness. But can mental illness alone cause someone to commit such a heinous crime? Isn't there also a diabolical influence present in such cases?

Dr. Kheriaty: Severe mental illness, including various forms of psychotic disorders, can put a person at risk of engaging in behavior that he would never do when thinking more clearly. Treating hospitalized patients on a psychiatric ward, I have often seen agitated or aggressive behavior when the person's symptoms were severe. However, it is a myth that mentally ill individuals, even those suffering from severe psychotic disorders, are violent by nature.

If they do commit violent acts, they are much more likely to inflict harm on themselves than on others. It seems to me that the kinds of atrocious violence on a massive scale that we see in these shooters cannot be fully explained by mental illness alone. I've treated hundreds of people with severe schizophrenia, for example, and when the illness is poorly controlled, they may be liable to quite strange behaviors. But not violence, not evil, on the scale that we see in these tragedies.

Such acts seem to require something beyond just ordinary human frailty, or even typical human malice. I believe that wherever evil on this scale is committed, there must be some kind of diabolical influence present. The way in which this influence plays out is mysterious and varied-from temptation, to oppression, to outright possession. Mental illness alone, in my judgment, cannot account for these behaviors. Something else is involved.

The hypothesis of the devil-a personal spiritual being whose will is turned toward evil and who can exercise some sort of influence over man-may give rise to scorn from rationalists. I challenge the skeptics to find a better explanation for Sandy Hook or Aurora. As Baudelaire famously put it, the devil's greatest trick is convincing us that he does not exist.

What can we do as a society to promote good mental and spiritual health?

Dr. Kheriaty: Strengthen the family, where children can grow up with their mother and father. Welcome children into the world and treat them as ends in themselves, not as means to another end. Turn off the TV and get rid of your video games and pornography.

Give young people hope, and a sense of meaning and purpose, so that they do not turn to drugs in despair. Reject the culture of narcissism and self-aggrandizement promoted in the media, and instead, learn to care for those who are marginalized and forgotten, the poor, the elderly and infirm, and those with mental illness. Go to church as a family on Sunday and pray together as a family during the week.

-------------------------------

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic columnist with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, Media and Theatre from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, and an Associate in Applied Science degree in Business Management from Triton College in River Grove, Ill. He has worked in the right-to-life movement and is a published writer focused on Catholic and social issues. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.)

Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for March 2015
Universal: Scientists: That those involved in scientific research may serve the well-being of the whole human person.
Evangelization: Contribution of women: That the unique contribution of women to the life of the Church may be recognized always.

Comments

Almost seven months after the fateful, fatal encounter between Michael
Brown and former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, Attorney General
Eric Holder officially announced a truth he had been holding close for
months - that the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" mantra ... continue reading

It's
an American trait to gas up the car and take a drive - anywhere, and
that certainly proved to be true last year. According to the Federal
Highway Administration, or FHWA, Americans drove 3.02 trillion miles
last year, the second-highest level of vehicle ... continue reading

The
military exercise is both mysterious and just a little bit threatening.
The controversial Jade Helm military exercise, scheduled to take part
in nine U.S. states this summer will involve soldiers operating
"undetected amongst civilian populations." The ... continue reading

Children
without adult guardians, from the southern border that the United
States shares with Mexico, continue to stream into the U.S. Homeland
Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, speaking to Congress last week, says
that these child immigrants number in the ... continue reading

I was with Rick Santorum at the Awakening Conference in Orlando,
Florida. Rick and Karen Santorum are personal friends.
Their whole family is a source of inspiration to me. But most
especially, that little Princess named Bella Santorum. She is the
center, the ... continue reading

There is no Christianity without Christ, and no Christ without the
cross. There was no need for the cross except for our Redemption, and no
need for that except for our sin. To preach Christianity without
preaching repentance from sin and taking up your cross is ... continue reading

Fast food conglomerate McDonald's had released its own fashion and lifestyle line, with the clothes full of Big Mac prints on them. The McFashion debuted on Tuesday in Sweden, in celebration of their most recent campaign, "I'm Lovin' It 24." Profit generated from the ... continue reading

From a tragic airplane crash that killed 150 people to the blood of St. Januarius liquifying, this week in news has been quite a roller coaster. We saw nuns mob Pope Francis, a father lose seven of his eight children in a horrifying fire and the first announced ... continue reading

While
it would appear to some to be contrary, the majority of Latinos within
the continental United States, 62 percent, speak English. A new analysis
of the Pew Research Center's 2013 National Survey of Latinos has found
that the current demographics will ... continue reading

Walking along this Way of Yes, leads us into a dialogue, a conversation, a communion, a new Way of life, the Christian Way. By saying Yes, offering our own Fiat,
we become consecrated and enlisted in the ongoing mission of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Mary shows us that ... continue reading